Many surgical procedures today require entry into an arterial vessel and placement of devices using catheters or insertion sheaths. After the procedure, the arterial puncture or opening must be closed. Vascular closure procedures and devices are generally known in the art, but a brief background will be provided herein. FIG. 1 shows a conventional vascular closure device 100 useful in closing arterial punctures. Device 100 may include an anchor 102, a bypass tube 104, a hemostatic collagen sponge 106, a suture 108, a carrier tube 110, a tamper tube 112, a device sleeve 114, a reference indicator 116, and a device cap 118.
To use device 100, an insertion sheath 202 or catheter (see FIG. 2) is placed such that a tip of the insertion sheath or catheter is just beyond the arterial puncture. Any tools or devices delivered via the insertion sheath, such as, guide wires, dilators, catheters, stents, or the like, are removed. Vascular closure device 100 is delivered to the puncture site by sliding device 100 through insertion sheath 202 until reference indicator 116 lines up with an insertion sheath reference indicator 204. After lining up the reference indicators 116 and 204, the doctor begins removing vascular closure device 100 by pulling device cap 118 until slight resistance to movement is felt. When resistance is felt, anchor 102 has deployed and is flush with a tip 302 of insertion sheath 202. Of course, other deployment indications are possible.
Once the doctor has deployed anchor 102, insertion sheath 202 and vascular closure device 100 are pulled away from the puncture location leaving anchor 102, hemostatic collagen sponge 106, and suture 108 in place closing the vascular puncture. Conventionally, a doctor ties anchor 102, collagen 106, and suture 108 using a slipknot (not specifically shown but generally know in the art.) Along with other problems, the slipknot can be difficult for the doctor to deploy and can be difficult to manufacture. Thus, it would be desirable to develop an automatic suture locking device useful with vascular closure devices.